Phillip turns 9

Phillip turned nine on January 13.  

Phillip is a kind soul.  He finds an interest and goes 100% into it.  This year it is football.  We signed him up for flag football through a league in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.  He didn't know a soul, but he jumped right in and loved it.   He scored one touchdown for the season and captured a few flags along the way.  He believes he's ready for tackle football now. (Mom is not so sure about that)

He also played his second year of basketball.  Derick coached him and six other boys.   It's been such a fun season and we have grown to love these boys.  They're also kind of special to me, because I teach these boys at school each week in music class.

 

He has recently taken a passion into learning crazy NFL stats.  He will rattle off facts to me every day.  Alexa has been a big help in contributing to these facts.  Derick had the opportunity to take Phillip to the Kansas City Chiefs game a few weeks ago.  Talk about a dream!

With the craziness of basketball season, we did a small birthday celebration with his best friend and our family. 

Phillip has the best personality and can make you smile at any moment.  I am so grateful the Lord blessed us with a boy like him.  We pray God guides him this year!

Phillip is nine looking fine!

Phillip is 3!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet boy, Phillip.

We made it! These last 3 years have flown by.  You had a big year this year. 

 We started 2015 with a big family trip to Disney World.  You had just turned 2 and were a trooper for the whole trip.  I so wish we could go back. I think you would enjoy it even more now that you're older.  

You had your 2nd set of tubes put in your ears and your adenoids removed in March. Once we did that, you were a new kid! So far, you haven't had any ear problems and have been so healthy this last year. 

This summer we spent lots of time in our pool.  You tend to be more cautious when it comes to the pool. You aren't one to dive right in:) I'm really hoping you take off on your swimming this summer.  

You always have a truck, tractor, or train in your hand.  You are all BOY and I love this about you.  

We were a little sad when we had to send sister back to school in August, but we sure enjoy her Mondays at home with us.  

You really enjoyed Halloween this year. You were Spider Man.  You enjoyed zapping your webs at everyone and you especially enjoyed all the candy! We also enjoyed our trips to Silver Dollar City.  You loved the train ride, carousel, butterfly, lady bug and frog rides.  Looking forward to more trips this year with you to SDC.  

Christmas was a fun holiday too.  You were into all the decorating, cookie baking, present opening, looking at Christmas lights.  Anything Christmas, you liked!  

You finally started going to your class at church without tears.  It was a sketchy 6 months or so (lol) but now you love your class and all your friends.  You love to tackle your buddy Jaxtyn each week.  

You said goodbye to diapers too! We made this happen about a week before your birthday. It was the best gift you have ever given me :)

We already have celebrated with donuts, candles, new toys, and lot's of singing for your birthday and it's only 9 a.m.! Birthdays are a big deal around our house. 

We sure love you, Phillip.  You make me laugh every day.  You have the sweetest personality and you are full of life.  Can't wait to travel through the terrific 3's with you.  After all, 3 was my favorite age with your sister! 

Happy Birthday! 

Potty training diaries

Phillip is approaching his 3rd birthday next week.  3?! I still can't believe it.

We introduced the potty to him this summer.  He had a little bit of interest but in all reality, he could really have cared less and preferred running around in his diaper. I asked advice from a number of my boy mommy friends.  I was getting frustrated because Olivia was potty trained in 1 week when she was 2.5 years old.  It couldn't have been any easier.

Why on earth was Phillip showing no interest?! Didn't he know it was time? I began giving up and when I would try again, he would get annoyed and not even try.  As I was complaining to Derick one night and comparing him to Olivia, Derick gently reminded me that Phillip is the complete opposite of his sister.  He was a boy(obviously) and a little less mature than Livy was at this age. He said it may take him longer and to wait it out until he started showing interest.  I thought to myself "Sure! He'll be the 4 year old going to school still in diapers!" I tend to be over dramatic at times :/

So, I finally just kept buying diapers and didn't give it one thought to training. I however did have a whole drawer full of spider man, thomas, batman, superman, and incredible hulk underwear.  I wanted to be prepared for when the time did arrive:)

The Christmas season came upon us and it was Monday of Christmas break.  Guess who went potty? Yep, Phillip! I thought it was just a crazy Christmas miracle and didn't think much about it.  Then, he continued to keep going that day (there were accidents) but he was figuring this out. That whole week was great progress toward our goal. Phillip was just so kind to do this the busiest week of the year.  A week where we were barely home.  We had lot's of places to be christmas week and potty training was not on my agenda.  He was hit and miss all week but he did pretty good.

Then New Years week came.  Kinda, sorta stuck with it but then he cried for his diaper.  I gave in and let him back in diapers.  I knew it was too good to be true.

As we were getting back into the swing of things with school starting, Derick said this would be a good time to get him back in routine with potty training.  I thought "Yes, honey.  It's a GREAT time.  I'll get right on that!" ----errr since the sarcasm.  I once again, given up on the idea of him being potty trained.

But, low and behold, I woke up Monday with the drive to do this.  And my golly, Phillip must have woke up with the same idea because he finally got it.  It clicked.  Hallelujah.  The angels were rejoicing.  He's gone all week accident free.  I'm overjoyed with this milestone but it's left me kind of sad too.  No more diapers in our home. Ever again.  (What's wrong with me?? We just got a pay raise with no more diapers)! But, don't worry, the feeling of joy outweighs the sadness.  Hahaha.

It's milestones like these, I think to myself "I've got this.  I have two kids who are on the right track in life." It's the little things in life....;)

And perhaps, there's nothing cuter than a boy in batman underwear!

Christmas Season

I always anticipate the Christmas season starting in August.  I'm the biggest Christmas fanatic you'll meet. Maybe that's why I decided to marry Derick at the most magical time of the year (or according to our family, the craziest time of the year). What can I say, we like to spice things up.

I was looking forward to Christmas 2015 for a number of reasons.  Olivia got two whole weeks off for Christmas break.  It was much needed for her and mama;) We ended the last week of school with her school Christmas program.

 We took a family getaway with my sister and her family to Big Cedar Lodge in Branson.  We had lots of fun! Miniature golf, shopping, Bass Pro to see Santa, and the Dixie Stampede

Dixie Stampede. 

 The Christmas show is a must see.  Dixie Stampede never gets old to me.

Waiting to see Santa at Bass Pro.  He didn't want near the ole' jolly man unless mommy held him.  Ehhh, we made it work!

When my mom was here over the break, she did the most adorable tea party for Olivia and Julia.  She went above and beyond and really created some special memories for them.

It was a candy cane theme.  So fun!

So thankful for our time with Nana Debbie.

In the middle of the busy season, Derick and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!!! 

We are going on a big trip this summer with some of our closest friends(romantic huh?) All jokes aside, we are really looking forward to the time away.  Thankful for 10 years full of love and laughter.  God was good to me when He sent Derick my way.  

And of course we can't have a Christmas break without Gingerbread cookies.

Livy performed in her first Kids' Choir Muscial at Church.  She was part of the marching band and made an appearance as Dorothy from Wizard of Oz for one of the songs. 

Phillip even had his first appearance in his Church Christmas play.  He was a cow.  But, he only agreed to play the part if it was a dinosaur.  This resembles a dino, right?? He did really good.  He pretty much just sat there and comforted his friend Mazzy when she had some stage fright. 

Phillip and Olivia on Christmas Sunday

Derick and Livy before our Christmas Eve Service

Mommy and Livy

We love our Christmas Eve Service.  It's a wonderful time of reflection to observe our Savior's birth and partake in communion with our families. 

We then head to Tulsa and have a big Christmas Eve dinner with my family.  This year we enjoyed the Cheesecake Factory.  

We had to hurry home and set out cookies for Santa, read the Christmas story, take pictures in our matching P.J.s (Derick was thrilled with all the matching) ;) then tuck the kids in bed awaiting Santa's arrival.  I serious get giddy when I think about how exciting this is for the kids(and me)!

We enjoyed this Christmas season. It always comes and goes so quick.  All the planning, decorating, family get togethers, parties...gone :( 

Thankfully Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  

We hope you enjoyed your Christmas season as well.  Thankful for my family. Thankful for memories.  

Just thankful.

FALL PARTIES

It's been quite the week here at our house.  We kicked off Halloween festivities with a Halloween party we go to every year.  Livy always has fun and we have the best time! 

Then, we celebrated Livy's first school party. We had fun celebrating with all of her friends. 

Then, we headed to our school carnival.  It was extra special because cousin Ellie got to come with us.  All three of the Stokes girls dressed like Ariel. We had so much fun dolling them up.  

This is our favorite time of year.  We are soaking up every fun event!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Branson Getaway

Derick has been working LONG hours at work the past few weeks. It can make for long days for all of us.  He hates to be away from the kids and me.  We miss daddy too. Livy especially misses him.  She's a full on daddy's girl.  So, we planned on getting away for the weekend.  We enjoyed ourselves!!  We were away two nights and it was wonderful.  This was our official first family of 4 trip.  Phillip was a champ and was a great little traveler.  Livy loves Silver Dollar City.  She will ride any/every rollercoaster. She gets this from her mama;)

The park is gorgeous this time of year.  We loved all the fall decorations.  

Hooray for family trips! They are few and far between so we are very thankful we were able to get away for a few days.

Pumpkin Patch

Livy had her first field trip last week.  A trip to the pumpkin patch. She had a wonderful time with her cousins/classmates.  

They were sent to the patch to pick out their own pumpkins.  Livy was extremely picky.  It took her a good 10 minutes to find one. HA.

We had a wonderful time.  We LOVE this time of year!

Days are gone

Livy started Pre-K this year and she loves it.  It's quite a bit of a change for all of us.  She's being exposed to new people and new things every day. Some good, some not so good. I've spent many a days on my knees in prayer while Livy is at school. I'm sure I worry more than I should but I'm a mom! I don't think I'll ever quit worrying. 

I started thinking back to a few years ago when Livy was a toddler.  There were days we'd stay in our pajamas all day and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Our biggest worries were, "What will we cook for dinner tonight?" I knew the day would come when we wouldn't be home all day and I'd be escorting Livy around to all her activities.  A few years ago, that seemed exciting to me. Now, I want to stop time and make Livy a 3 year old again.  Is this normal? 

I think my problem is, I don't like being BUSY.  There was a time, I'd call up family and friends and say, let's go to lunch and shopping.  These days, we have to schedule out any sort of lunch/dinner dates.  That's life. People are busy.  I don't like it. I want my kids home with me all day long and not have to worry about driving them to school or activities.  Is this a normal feeling when your kids start school. Maybe it's the growing up blues.  I don't know.  Maybe I'll just keep having kids so I can keep them home forever. Errrrr. Derick may disagree;)

Do any other moms feel this way?  I've been talking with one of my sweet friends about it this morning.  I think I'm having a blue Tuesday.  I need to snap out of it!

Grocery shopping

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping. Do you hate it? Do you love it? Do you tolerate it? 

I for one, really enjoy grocery shopping.  I like planning my meals and making my list out each week.  I shop once a week because Derick gets paid once a week so this works for best for us.  Phillip is my shopping buddy.  He loves new places so the grocery store is like a party for him. I wonder how long this will last? ;)

I used to coupon shop every week but it became a hassle and I was tired of clipping coupons and scouring the internet for coupons.  I was introduced to Aldi about a year ago.  My favorite store!! It's super cheap and has everything I need. You can get a gallon of milk for $1.75. Say WHAT?! Yes, I know.  If you don't mind off brand foods, then this is your place.  Now, I can't substitute some name brand foods. Example: Crisco, coffee, cereal, and pop-tarts...just to name a few.  I just can't get the cheaper version. It'll gag me, seriously.  But, their produce is great.  Super cheap fruits and veggies. I always load up when I go.  

I do all my shopping needs in Siloam Springs, AR.  It's about a 25 minute drive from my home.  The drive is BEAUTIFUL!! Siloam Springs is a sweet little town and I can get all my shopping done on one long strip.  It's not spread out everywhere, which I love. 

I'm thankful I can enjoy my weekly shopping visits to this town.  I know if I worked, I probably wouldn't enjoy shopping as much.  It's nice to have the extra time to plan my weekly meals and cook for my family. Cooking and cleaning! It's my life calling right now ;) And I love it.  

So, where do you shop? Do you plan weekly meals? Do you hate grocery shopping.  

Don't forget Aldi's for all your shopping needs;)

Children's Ministry

Our children's pastor and his family recently moved to do mission work.  Our church has a great group of kiddos from babies-elementary age.  We were approached by Jeff to see if we were willing to step in (along with two other couples) and be on our Children's Ministry Team.  My first thought was, "Yikes, this sounds like a lot of work). When he asked me, Phillip was just a few months old and I had my hands full being a wife and a mommy.  Derick and I discussed it and we felt like this was an area the Lord was leading us. I knew this year was going to be different for our family for a few different reasons.
 1. We just had a new baby boy.
2. Olivia was starting Pre-K at LGELC.
3. Derick's work hours were getting longer and longer
4. My sister and my SIL both work full time now(They were my fellow stay at home moms).

Having a new baby is a new adjustment anyways.  God was good to us when He gave us Phillip.  Phillip as been a constant joy for these past 9 months.  He has been my easy peasy baby and there's just something about a boy that will melt a mama's heart.
Olivia was starting a new phase: SCHOOL! She has adjusted to school wonderfully.  She has a great Christian teacher(who happens to be one of my good friends). Praise the Lord she loves school. It's made it easier on this mama for sure.

Derick has a wonderful job.  He works extra hard for us so I can stay home with the kids.  Sure, there are struggles since we are a one income home but it's worth the challenges! I count it a blessing to be home with my kids.

My sister, Jennie, is in her last year of nursing school. PRAISE THE LORD! I went from seeing/talking to my sister every day to barely seeing/talking to her 2-3xs a week.  She has worked hard and we are going to celebrate BIG when she graduates in May.  I'm ready to have her back in my life daily.  My BFF and SIL, Launi, started work this year.  Both her babies are in school so it was natural for her to work. I hate it! LOL. Everyone has left Katie home all alone.  Pity party over now.

So, it's been a year of changes.  I wouldn't trade any of it though.  I'm happy for my expanding family, I'm happy that Olivia loves school, I'm happy that Derick has a job to go to everday, and I'm even happy for my family and the new adventures they are taking.

I felt a little lost.  What was my purpose? I know I'm in a different stage in my life then my other family/friends.  I'm enjoying it for sure, but I felt like the Lord was laying something on my heart. I just wasn't sure what. So, when Jeff approached us, Derick and I knew this was where we needed to be.  We agreed to Jeff's offer and we've hit the ground running ever sinee.

Our other  two couples we work with have been a blessing to us as well.  I've gotten to know the ins and outs of ministry(Some good, some not so good) :). I've been raised in a pastor's home my entire life, so I knew what I was getting into.  We have been incredibly blessed in this position! It's been a lot of hard work but it's been very rewarding.  I see Children's ministry in a whole new light now that I have kids of my own.  I want it to be the best for our children.  But most importantly, I want these kids to come to know Christ.  That is our purpose!!

We have a lot in store for our children at the LGFWB Church.  It's an honor to help lead these children.   So, as I mentioned earlier, I was a little lost as to where I should be concerning the Lord's will. But, I'm happy to say, I'm right where I need to be.  I'm not perfect, but we're trying our best.  I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do in our ministry.  Thank you parents for letting us be a part of this journey with your children.

My 5 year old

We celebrated Olivia's 5th birthday last weekend.  We are taking her to Branson next weekend for her birthday celebration.  We had a small party with our family.  She requested to have a Cowgirl party.  So, we made it happen.  She even received her very own pony which she named, Brutus.  She also got a barn with animals, a bb gun, camouflage,  and some clothes.  She cleaned up pretty well! I say it every year, but I can't believe another year has passed and she is 5 years old on Tuesday. 

A year later

My last post was in October of 2012. I guess it's safe to say, I've been a little busy since it's almost a year later. I'm going to document more because if I don't write our little adventures in life down, I'm afraid I'll forget them. We can't have that happen.

In most recent news, Olivia started Pre-K in August. My shy, cling to mommy, never talks to a stranger started school. So, naturally you would think this would be a hard transition for her. She surprised her daddy and me! She loves school. Wakes up every morning smiling because it's a school day.  The first day of school, I was mentally prepared and knew I wouldn't cry.  This will be totally fine and easy(as I was thinking this in my head). We dropped her off and she went and sat on that big ole' rug in that big ole' classroom all by herself and waved bye to Derick, Phillip, and me.  I walked out of the room, looked at Derick and lost all control. Derick grumbled, "Good grief, let's go get you some donuts." She has continued to do well in school and each day is new and exciting for her.  Truly an answer to our prayers. And let me tell ya, I have covered this girl in prayer since putting her in school. (Well, I prayed for her all the time before too.) It's just a totally different world she is being exposed to.  I pray that she is safe, surrounded by good friends, a little light to others, and that she will still keep her sweet innocence. 

 Phillip was used to having his big sister home all summer.  She's his source of entertainment.  He's adjusting though ;) I've really enjoyed the one-on-one time I have with him.  He's the most laid back, sweetest, most smily baby I know.  He brings so much joy to our home.

 They're 4.5 years apart, but I think they will be the bestest of friends.  Thankful that Livy loves her little brother.  She thinks he's the greatest thing ever.  Do you other moms heart flutter when you see your kiddos interacting/ laughing together? There really is no better feeling!

Livy is at school right this moment.  Phillip is napping in his crib and I'm getting our house spruced up for Livy's 5th birthday party tomorrow night. 

Yee-haw! Bet ya can't guess our party theme? ;)

Fall Days

Livy is loving Wee School this year. 

She has really come out of her shell since starting school and I'm very proud of her.  I'm thankful she loves it and I think going to school next year will be an easy transition for her(and me)!

I'm trying to savor every moment with her before baby brother arrives.  In a little over three months, he will be here and our household will change drastically. Is going from 1 to 2 kids hard? I've heard different opinions. 

Livy seems ready for him to arrive.  Mommy and Daddy are frantically trying to prepare for his arrival.  Gotta get that nursery done and our insurance straightened out. 

 INSURANCE!! Ick. We've had the worst time with our insurance this pregnancy. I'm praying the Lord has control over it from this point on.

Livy had her first field trip this past week. A trip to the pumpkin patch with her class.  She had a lot of fun and I loved seeing her with her classmates.  Thankful for this school and all the activities she's involved in. Fun year for Miss Olivia.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Livy's first day of school

Livy turns 4 next month. We decided to enroll her in a wee school 2 days a week this school year. She's been excited all summer for school.


I was very apprehensive how the first day would go. She's very shy and gets scared of new people and places. I've covered her in prayer for this school year.


Her first day couldn't have gone better. She waltzed right in...gave me a kiss and said " I love you mama, bye!" I stood there in shock then exited the school.


I was crying because I was so sad she was in school, but also crying tears of joy because she was so brave.
She LOVED her first day of school. She loves her teacher. I'm excited for a great school year for her.
Good luck to all you mommies who send your babies off to school this year!:)